🏀 KuBuckets Archive

[Bam Bump](

(About 58:31 into the video) Bam catches the ball in the post, "bams" into Landen, (then shuffles his feet with no call,) and misses. What in the eff is Landen supposed to do there? Why can the offensive player just bump into him like that? If Landen is the one who creates the contact, you know they'd call a defensive foul on Landen.

This happens in college and the pros, and I don't know why these leagues allow it. It's not athletic, does not require much talent, and it's fugly to watch.

@chriz you're absolutely right. That play should not require a flop to be called an Offensive foul.

That's true, seems like the only time anyone ever calls it is when the defender has to advertise it.

And it's just ugly. I'm surprised they don't at least recognize that it's ugly and it can't be good for basketball.

Well Devonte got his shooting arm slapped on his putback of Frank's fastbreak layup miss--> no call! (and how weird is it to say "Frank's layup miss"?)

And either Josh or Devonte got his shooting arm whacked in the act of shot-release near FT line area...--> no call!

But I also heard the KY crowd groan 2 or 3 times when a questionable call went against them (coulda gone either way to my eye).

I think the refs tried to not muddy-up a primetime ESPN "royalty" game, choosing to let the kids "play" to some extent. It was clearly evident on Frank's late game miss, when Devonte got fouled, made the putback, and looked around incredulously for a foul call--> nope the refs werent going to pile on the home team, which is why Lando got his 5th foul, and Josh got called for fouling the 3pt shooter (which Bilas called incidental, shoulda been a no-call). Refs gave 5pts of FTs to KY. So maybe a little home-team bias...but KU overcame. a MAJOR lesson for the March Madness officiating bias we have discussed on this site. You have got to keep the pedal down to power thru any lopsided officiating, and just take the win.

Self's old phrase about "foot on the throat" isnt a pretty visual, but it is exactly what his teams need to survive in March...which is what we all want, since that's where our ride ends most every year. Poise, aggression, and mental toughness. Your Jayhawks showed enough of it to win a big one in the heart of BigBlueNation.

We got an out of bounds call that clearly went off Svi with 3 minutes left. Not sure if we scored then, but replay made it very clear. I really didn't have an issue with officiating. I do see what you mean about the dude banging into Landen however. Wow!

Thanks for posting the entire game. I can't get the hang of posting images on here.

The 5th foul call on Lucas at the 1:23:17 chaps my backside. There really needs to be an internal review by each league's officials after each game to eliminate as many bad calls as possible. I say three bad calls during the season and the ref is reassigned to the concession stand. Where in the hell was the foul on Lucas? In a slightly different game, that could have cost us the win.

@wissox

Yes we did score off the play, it was after another foul call on Fox that the UK fans were crying for a offensive foul (Fox flopped).

I thought the ref's did a really good job of letting the guys play. I have to say it was the best game between 2 good teams that wasn't affected by the ref's blowing the whistle every 5 seconds. There was some play-on, some obvious missed calls one way or the other. As probably the most vocal person about how bad officiating is, I'd take this crew anyday going forward if they give that kind of freedom to the game.

I didn't notice the refs unlike the WVU game. Good refs to stay mostly invisible.

I thought the out of bounds call at the 2:58 mark was correct. The ball carroms off of #3's leg then narrowly misses Svi's calf. You can tell it just misses on a big screen, but on my little ipad screen it looks like it touches Svi.

I thought the post wasn't supposed to be able to bang down the defender like that anymore. Seems like Landen has gotten several fouls trying to establish position in the post this year. However, I'd rather the refs swallow their whistles than make their presence known.

I think it was a well-called game. Of course, it helps that it was on the heels of one of the worst-called games I've seen. But really, there were the usual bad calls that went both ways, but overall, I thought they made very reasonable calls and didn't try to take over the game.

Things like that the post bullying always stick out to me though. They're not as bad as phantom calls, but like I say, it's just no-talent, ugly basketball. And it goes both ways, I'm sure LL gets away with it too. I'm not even just talking about lowering the shoulder, I'm talking about when guys back into their defender to get closer to the goal. WHY IS THAT LEGAL?!

@chriz

I agree about the post contact. It's a judgement call because its natural for an offensive player to back in and try and create leverage. I thought that was a point of emphasis but Bam does this in every game he plays.
He's a physical specimen and is trying to draw contact (actually looks like he's seeking it).

That may have been a point of emphasis from their coaches to try and create contact and force the ref's to make a call.

We benefited from him missing so many FT's otherwise the calls that were missed could have stuck out more.

The 5th foul on Lucas was straight up garbage, the rules did not apply on that play. If Lucas is allowed his space and to jump with verticality it should have been a play on.

I like the 36:30 moment on that video a lot better.

@approxinfinity

"That play should not require a flop to be called an Offensive foul."

Actually, many calls DO require a slight flop. It does because that is now the STANDARD in college basketball on many of these close calls.

I'm not talking about a Marcus Smart flop. Just "sell the call"... something that has been in basketball probably since the very beginning of the game.

I've been criticized for saying we need to sell the calls.

"Selling the calls" is such a basic part of the game, like shot fakes and boxing out on the boards.

This fits into the same bracket argument I have with my wife when she speeds through intersections.... "Yes, the light was green. That won't save your life. I'm going to print '..but I was right' on your gravestone."

When we lose by 2 in March and we give up a couple of baskets we actually DESERVED but wouldn't sell the call, I will be thinking the same thing.

Or start doing this:

[link text](

@drgnslayr I'm afraid we will have to sell calls and I think Landen is too honest to do it. @chriz I think pulling the chair is a fantastic idea.

@approxinfinity

"Honesty" really doesn't enter the picture when you are selling calls you deserve. Just consider it a continuation of "body language." Body language fits in this same bracket. It doesn't relate to honesty but impacts how games are called.

Honesty comes into the picture when you go overboard like Marcus Smart.

@drgnslayr absolutely. My kids need veggies, even though they don't realize it. So as much as I HATE doing it, I have to "sell" it to my kids. Otherwise they ain't buying it, even though they should.

@chriz

My kids loved all their veggies... until my wife started giving them goldfish crackers and other junk. Guess which one the kids want now? It definitely ain't the veggies!

@chriz

When I was growing up we did not have a choice; we had to eat everything that was on the plate and we were happy for every meager bite of it. My own kids did not have to go through this.

@dylans Agreed. The replay showed it went off #3 who was guarding LL.

I have a question. Why does the D back off when Kensucky inbounded the ball by rolling it up court with about 45 seconds left rather than pressing the player to pick it up and get the clock moving? I've always thought that was asinine.

@brooksmd I agree.. I've wondered about that too. You can cause a lot of disruption if you dive for the ball and tip it.. even if you don't get it... as long as you don't foul..

I'd love to see someone figure out how to thwart the roll-in...

I'm pretty sure they're all told to get back so as not to foul and prevent a home run pass. I'd like to see one guy stay up and force the man to pick up the ball, not play actual D and risk a foul call, just make him touch the ball.

As for selling calls, if you flop and no call is made your man is unguarded. I think this is Landen's fear (possibly coaching as you see very few KU flops).